U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,070, assigned to the assignee of the present application, shows a process for making granular gelatinizable quaternary ammonium starch ethers by reacting an amine alkene halide reagent with starch.
The reagent of U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,070 is prepared by mixing an amine with a dihaloalkene in the presence of a non-polar solvent until a quaternary ammonium salt is formed. The salt is collected by filtration and washed to remove unreacted reagents. The granular salt is packaged in bags or drums and is subject to forming lumps that must be broken up before use. The exposure of production workers to the granular salt, both in the plant and in the starch reacting facility, requires the use of protective wearing apparel when handling the granular amine alkene halide reagent. This is inconvenient, uncomfortable and may be ignored by the workers to their detriment.
The present invention relates to a method of producing amine alkene halide reagent which results in an aqueous solution of the amine alkene halide reagent. This water solution permits the handling of the amine alkene halide with ease and safety. The liquid can be pumped, shipped, stored and used, without ever coming in direct contact with the worker. The practice of this invention reduces the costs of the solvents required in the process of making the amine alkene halide because the solvents are recovered and reused.